Damian Galvan and Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-CA 31) sit down with Rep. Derek Tran (CA-47) for a discussion on gerrymandering, the fight to protect democracy, the latest political bombshells surrounding Donald Trump, Texas Republicans, and the dangerous distractions coming out of the Trump White House to avoid releasing the Epstein files.
Rep. Tran shares his journey from the son of Vietnamese refugees to serving in one of the most competitive districts in America, a seat he won by JUST 653 votes. We discuss why Democrats must “fight fire with fire” to counter GOP power grabs, how California’s one-time redistricting plan could protect seats from Republican takeover, and why independent commissions are essential for fair elections.
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
00:34 – Freshman in Congress: Derek Tran & Gil Cisneros
02:27 – Mid-Decade Redistricting in Texas
03:29 – California’s Redistricting to Counter Texas
06:00 – What is Gerrymandering?
07:41 – The Case for National Independent Commissions
10:14 – California’s “Fight Fire with Fire” Strategy
11:51 – Why Democrats Can’t Keep “Taking the High Road”
13:24 – Texas Democrats Break Quorum to Block Redistricting
16:06 – Applauding the Texas Democrats for Fighting Back
17:15 – GOP Hypocrisy on Quorum Rules and Ghislaine Maxwell’s Prison Transfer
19:17 – What the Epstein Files Could Reveal
24:10 – Michael Wolf’s Interview with Epstein About Trump
26:35 – Trump Will Do Anything It Takes To Win
29:07 – House Oversight Committee Calls Subpoenas For 10 Closed-door Depositions
30:34 – The Public Deserves To See The Epstein Files
32:51 – Trump’s Broken Promises on IVF & More
36:10 – Gaslighting and Manipulation from Trump
37:20 – White House Waste: The $200M Ballroom
39:16 – The Real Issues Americans Are Facing
40:37 – Inside CA-47: A Diverse, Purple, High-Stakes District
42:10 – Winning by Just 653 Votes in a $46M Race
44:52 – Why Derek Tran Ran for Congress
46:00 – Growing Up as the Son of Vietnamese Refugees
48:30 – Military Service and Rep. Tran’s Love of Public Service
52:20 – The Grind of Serving in Congress
54:30 – Final Thoughts
Thank you for tuning into the ‘Who Dem?’ Podcast! We bring on Democratic leaders, candidates, personalities, and more with a goal of truly getting to know the person beyond politics. Hosted by Damian Galvan and Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-CA 31).
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